Balancing carbs.

On 3 Oct, 11:09, "gazzafield"
wrote:
> Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
> haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
> together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
> how?

Others have explained, but really, get a four-carb set. Much easier.
My set is one of those tools that gets used maybe once every couple of
years (most recently for setting up Timo's 400 Four), but it's
impossible to do the job properly without it - or a mercury gauge set.
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

On Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, "gazzafield"
wrote:

>Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
>haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
>together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
>how?

Some bikes have one carb that can't be adjusted it is the reference
carb the others are set to. So 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 4.
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

"Eiron" wrote in message

> gazzafield wrote:
>> Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set?
>> My haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all
>> four together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two
>> gauges, but how?
>
> Easy. Balance 1 and 2, balance 3 and 4, then balance 2 and 3.



Ah, excellent Eiron. Thank you. The HBOL didn't make it clear that the
last bit of balancing was balancing two and three. Do 1 and 4 not need to
be balanced, or am I just being thick? (which would be nothing new).
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

gazzafield wrote:

>
> "Eiron" wrote in message
>
> > gazzafield wrote:
> > > Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum
> > > gauge set? My haynes says set one pair and then the other pair
> > > and then balance all four together. I've heard others say it
> > > can be done with just two gauges, but how?
> >
> > Easy. Balance 1 and 2, balance 3 and 4, then balance 2 and 3.
>
>
>
> Ah, excellent Eiron. Thank you. The HBOL didn't make it clear that
> the last bit of balancing was balancing two and three. Do 1 and 4
> not need to be balanced, or am I just being thick? (which would be
> nothing new).

You're just being thick.

HTH

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

On or around Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:12:25 -0500, Fake Name
enlightened us thusly:

>On Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, "gazzafield"
> wrote:
>
>>Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
>>haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
>>together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
>>how?
>
>Some bikes have one carb that can't be adjusted it is the reference
>carb the others are set to. So 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 4.

that's what you'd need to do anyway. Although if you set 1&2 to vacuum
level V at revs R, and then set 3&4 to level V at revs R, that'd give you
something close. If you then put the gauges on 2&3, and found them not to
match, and then adjusted e.g. 3, 3&4 would then be out and have to be reset.

so, you either do 1&2, 2&3, 3&4 in that order or 1&2, 1&3, 1&4 in any order.
With due regard to the possibility that one of them is not adjustable for
whatever reason.

Personally, I'd set all others WRT 1.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
Travel The Galaxy! Meet Fascinating Life Forms...
------------------------------------------------\
>> http://www.schlockmercenary.com/ << \ ...and Kill them.
a webcartoon by Howard Tayler; I like it, maybe you will too!
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, gazzafield wrote:

> Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
> haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
> together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
> how?

If the bike is old, and the cylinders may not be worn equally would it be
possible/better to set up/balance using one of those visible spark plugs
in each cylinder and just get the right spark/burn colour for each
cylinder meaning the carbs are not balanced to each other but are
individually set up for each cylinder?
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

In news:pan.2007.10.06.10.36.10.489376@spammersgothehouse.con,
Grassy Knollington wibbled
> On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, gazzafield wrote:
>
>> Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge
>> set? My haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then
>> balance all four together. I've heard others say it can be done
>> with just two gauges, but how?
>
> If the bike is old, and the cylinders may not be worn equally would
> it be possible/better to set up/balance using one of those visible
> spark plugs in each cylinder and just get the right spark/burn colour
> for each cylinder meaning the carbs are not balanced to each other
> but are individually set up for each cylinder?

no

--
Steve Parry
K1200GT SE & F650
and a 520i SE Touring for comfortt .. it's days are numbered
www.gwynfryn.co.uk
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

In article ,
Grassy Knollington writes
>On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, gazzafield wrote:
>
>> Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
>> haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
>> together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
>> how?
>
>If the bike is old, and the cylinders may not be worn equally would it be
>possible/better to set up/balance using one of those visible spark plugs
>in each cylinder and just get the right spark/burn colour for each
>cylinder

Yes it would but...

> meaning the carbs are not balanced to each other but are
>individually set up for each cylinder?

This would make the whole process pointless.

Balancing carbs is piss easy. So piss easy in fact that it can be done
by ear if you know what you are doing and done using tools nearly as
good if you don't but either way well worth the effort and even worth
the expense of buying the tools.

--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

Grassy Knollington wrote:

> On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:09:41 +0100, gazzafield wrote:
>
> > Is it posible to balance a four carb setup with a two vacuum gauge set? My
> > haynes says set one pair and then the other pair and then balance all four
> > together. I've heard others say it can be done with just two gauges, but
> > how?
>
> If the bike is old, and the cylinders may not be worn equally would it be
> possible/better to set up/balance using one of those visible spark plugs
> in each cylinder and just get the right spark/burn colour for each
> cylinder meaning the carbs are not balanced to each other but are
> individually set up for each cylinder?

No

--
BMW K1100LT 750SS CB400F CD250 CB125 SL125
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 The bells, the bells.....
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

steve auvache wrote:

> Balancing carbs is piss easy. So piss easy in fact that it can be done
> by ear if you know what you are doing

On virtually any twin, I'd agree. On a four, I wouldn't.


--
BMW K1100LT 750SS CB400F CD250 CB125 SL125
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 The bells, the bells.....
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

In article <1i5kbz5.oop95v1iod6jaN%chateau.murray.takethisout@dsl.pipex.
com>, The Older Gentleman
writes
>steve auvache wrote:
>
>> Balancing carbs is piss easy. So piss easy in fact that it can be done
>> by ear if you know what you are doing
>
>On virtually any twin, I'd agree.

Where virtually includes liquid cooled then even 4 pots is doable. You
have to be quick, confident and accurate with an air cooled lump though
or prepared to take many tea breaks while it cools down.


> On a four, I wouldn't.

Snot hard. Try it on a multi carb cage motor[1] first where you have
good access to get your ears used to the noises and a bike then follows
easily.



[1] Fortune presented me this opportunity when, as a young and somewhat
underpaid apprentice, all my rich mates had minis and 107 anglias with
flared wheel arches and spray on rally dirt and everything and I was the
only one who could tune a set of carbs without the proper tools.



--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

steve auvache wrote:

> Snot hard. Try it on a multi carb cage motor[1] first where you have
> good access to get your ears used to the noises and a bike then follows
> easily.

I can see that, yeah, but we're still talking a twin-carb car engine,
not four carbs, presumably?


--
BMW K1100LT 750SS CB400F CD250 CB125 SL125
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06 YTC#3
BOF#30 WUSS#5 The bells, the bells.....
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs. 

In article <1i5kg7t.9kf31l7u5ow0N%chateau.murray.takethisout@dsl.pipex.c
om>, The Older Gentleman
writes
>steve auvache wrote:
>
>> Snot hard. Try it on a multi carb cage motor[1] first where you have
>> good access to get your ears used to the noises and a bike then follows
>> easily.
>
>I can see that, yeah, but we're still talking a twin-carb car engine,
>not four carbs, presumably?

No, 4 is not the challenge folks think it is. You just have to listen
and take note of what the engine is telling you and how far you are
moving your fingers to do it.

Like anything else practice makes it easier and when I have had the
chance to practice and then measure I have done both and now I would be
confident of getting 4 on a cage as near as makes no odds by ear and
spot on with gauges.


--
steve auvache
A Bloo one with built in safety features
 >> Stay informed about: Balancing carbs.